House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 11 Jul 2003 (pt 8)

11 Jul 2003 : Column 1043W—continued

Health and Social Care(Community Health and Standards) Bill

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy, under clause 60 of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill to introduce an appeals process to enable an independent person or panel to review the amount charged under subsection (1) of clause 62 in cases where the person or body who has received the charge wishes to appeal. [120304]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Section 57(7) (formerly section 60(7)) of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill provides a power that enables the Secretary of State to make regulations that would allow an independent person or a panel to review charges levied in individual cases by Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection on English national health service bodies, cross border Strategic Health Authorities or other persons of a specified nature, and to substitute a lesser charge if they consider it appropriate.

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the maximum fine payable is under Clause 63(5) of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill; [121181]

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(3) what the maximum fine payable is under Clause 65(3) of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill. [121188]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The penalty on summary conviction of an offence under clauses 61, 62 and 63 (formerly clauses 63, 64 and 65) of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill is a fine not exceeding level four (£2,500) on the standard scale, as set out in the Explanatory Notes.

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) in what circumstances he would expect the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection to consider an explanation necessary under Clause 65(1) of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill; [121185]

Ms Rosie Winterton: It will be for the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection to decide where an explanation is necessary or expedient but this might include where it finds discrepancies within the data it has received or where information it has obtained provides evidence of potential failure by national health service bodies.

However, it will be for the Secretary of State to lay down in regulations the times, places and persons that must provide an explanation under clause 63 (formerly clause 65) of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill.

Healthcare Staff

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors and (b) nurses from developing countries are working in the UK, broken down by country. [123163]

Mr. Hutton: The Department does not collect data on numbers of doctors or nurses working in the United Kingdom by country of origin. The Department does collect information by country of qualification, which is shown in the table.

Hospital Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS): Medical and dental doctors and General Practitioners by country of primary qualificationNumber (headcount)⁽¹³⁾

Of which:

England as at 30 September 2002 All countries of qualification United Kingdom Rest of European Economic Area Elsewhere

All doctors 104,460 71,382 5,157 27,921

Of which:

HCHS Doctors⁽¹³⁾ 72,168 45,115 3,801 23,252

All General Medical Practitioners⁽¹⁴⁾ 32,292 26,267 1,356 4,669

		Of which:
England as at 30 September 2002	All countries of qualification	United Kingdom	Rest of European Economic Area	Elsewhere
All doctors	104,460	71,382	5,157	27,921

Of which:
HCHS Doctors⁽¹³⁾	72,168	45,115	3,801	23,252
All General Medical Practitioners⁽¹⁴⁾	32,292	26,267	1,356	4,669

⁽¹³⁾ Excludes Hospital Medical Hospital Practitioners and Hospital Medical Clinical Assistants, most of whom are GPs working part-time in hospitals.

⁽¹⁴⁾ Assistants, GP Registrars, Salaried Doctors (Para 52 SPA), PMS Other and GP Retainers.

Source:

Department of Health medical and dental workforce census Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

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Published figures show doctors categorised by country of qualification grouped into UK, European Economic Area and elsewhere only.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council publishes an annual statistical analysis of the register, which includes statistics on overseas nurses registering in the UK. This information can be found at www.nmc-uk.org.

Intensive Care

Mr. Mudie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many intensive care beds for burns there are in each region; and what the occupancy rates were in the past two years. [123559]

Mr. Hutton: In January 2003, the Department of Health carried out a census of open and staffed adult critical care beds in national health service trusts. The results showed that there were 3,097 critical care beds, which represents 735 (31 per cent.) more beds than in January 2000 and exceeds the target set in the NHS for 30 per cent. more adult critical care beds. Of the 3,097 beds, 35 of these were intensive care beds for burns. The Department does not collect the occupancy rates for intensive care beds centrally.

Inventures

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 30 June 2003, Official Report, column 153W, on Inventures, how much has been charged by KPMG to date. [124045]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 7 July 2003]: KPMG's costs to date on Inventures are approximately £500,000.

Maternity Care

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many security incidents in maternity units in the NHS there have been in (a) England and (b) each strategic health authority in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement on each incident. [124226]

Mr. Hutton: Historically, information on security incidents has only been collated centrally in terms of overall numbers, not by level or staff groups.

The Counter Fraud and Security Management Service (CFSMS) was launched on 1 April this year with the new policy and operational responsibility for the management of security in the national health service. The CFSMS is currently reviewing NHS security

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management, and will be prioritising the establishment of an effective incident reporting system.

Medical Technologies

Dr. Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the statement in the Wanless report that new medical technologies can be used to facilitate a dramatic fall in length of stays in hospital. [118053]

Mr. Hutton: The Wanless report identifies several possible impacts of new medical technologies. Shorter length of stay in hospital is listed among numerous other potential effects. The Government recognise that it is important to determine the future impacts of technological advances.

The National Horizon Scanning Centre at the University of Birmingham, has a contract with the Department of Health to examine the impact that new health technologies and drugs may have on health expenditure. This year, for the first time, we have asked the National Horizon Scanning Centre to consider the impact that health technologies and drugs may have on average length of stay.

NHS Pay Beds

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to phase out the practice of private patients using NHS hospitals pay beds and other provision; and if he will make a statement. [120054]

Mr. Hutton: This is a matter for local decision. The Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill imposes a limit on the amount of private work that national health service foundation trusts may carry out. They will not be able to undertake a higher proportion of private work than they do at present.

Mortality/Morbidity Rates

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the (a) mortality and (b) morbidity rates for each year since 1997 for (i) England and (ii) each region of England. [122789]

Mr. Hutton: The available figures are shown in the tables. Regional figures are by Government Office Region. Mortality rates come from death registration information. Morbidity rates are less easy to define and collect. However, the Health Survey for England gives the proportion of survey respondents who reported having any illness, disability or infirmity that they considered had troubled them or was likely to affect them over a period of time.

Death rates⁽¹⁵⁾ per 100,000 population by Government Office Region⁽¹⁶⁾, 1997 to 2001⁽¹⁷⁾

North East North West Yorks & Humber East Midlands West Midlands East of England London SouthEast South West England

Adults

1997 829 815 761 731 754 674 734 676 665 731

1998 843 808 761 729 738 664 720 654 642 720

1999 806 799 735 724 741 661 712 652 639 712

2000 775 759 708 688 712 638 690 631 628 686

2001 760 753 693 670 692 623 677 613 604 669

	North East	North West	Yorks & Humber	East Midlands	West Midlands	East of England	London	SouthEast	South West	England
Adults
1997	829	815	761	731	754	674	734	676	665	731
1998	843	808	761	729	738	664	720	654	642	720
1999	806	799	735	724	741	661	712	652	639	712
2000	775	759	708	688	712	638	690	631	628	686
2001	760	753	693	670	692	623	677	613	604	669

⁽¹⁵⁾ Directly age-standardised using the European Standard Population.

⁽¹⁶⁾ Boundaries as at 1 April 2001.

⁽¹⁷⁾ Deaths registered in these years.

Source:

Office for National Statistics

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Long standing illness by Government Office Region, 1997 to 2001Percentage

North East North West Yorks & Humber East Midlands West Midlands East of England London SouthEast South West England

Adults

1997 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

1998 49 48 46 45 42 39 42 42 43 44

1999 45 50 44 45 46 41 39 43 42 44

2000 47 46 44 50 46 39 40 44 41 44

2001 51 48 47 51 46 42 40 44 45 46

	North East	North West	Yorks & Humber	East Midlands	West Midlands	East of England	London	SouthEast	South West	England
Adults
1997	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
1998	49	48	46	45	42	39	42	42	43	44
1999	45	50	44	45	46	41	39	43	42	44
2000	47	46	44	50	46	39	40	44	41	44
2001	51	48	47	51	46	42	40	44	45	46

n/a = not available by Government Office Region

Source:

Health Survey for England, Department of Health

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